What are my chances of getting into TOP colleges? Be honest.

Chance Me / Match Me
1

I’m thinking of applying to Duke, Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Georgetown, George Washington University, UGA, UNC at Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt, etc.

Here are my stats:

School Type: Public
Location: Georgia
Race/Gender: Caucasian Female
Prospective Major: Public Policy or Economics
Unweighted GPA: 98.98 (Has gone up as I had two 107s and one 99 in my last semester)
Weighted GPA: 3.92 (School does not go past 4.0)
Class rank: 4 out of 180

SAT I Scores
SAT I Math: 650
SAT I Critical Reading: 720
Total Superscore: 1370

SAT II Scores
Not done yet, but will study EXTREMELY HARD to get above 700 on literature, U.S History, and Math I or II

Long-form Info

Extracurricular Info

Student Council President (Led by chapter in a statewide competition 1st place for a solid 8 weeks, came in second)
National Honor Society President
Junior Board (Probably will be the Head Chair)
Key Club Secretary
National Technical Honor Society
HOSA (Healthcare Club)
Foreign Language Club
Georgia Secretary of State Ambassador

Other strong point:
Will get excellent letters of recommendation.

Also:
At least 300+ hours of community service in high school, have a main focus on hunger relief in my community (if a concentration helps anything)

Work Experience

  • I started my own nonprofit that acts as a tutoring service for women participating in drug court rehabilitation to receive their GED, (3-4 hours a week)

Awards (nothing special):
*AP Scholar

  • Governor’s Honors Program Nominee in Communicative Arts
    *Susan B. Anthony Award (Award for Social Activism and Pursuit)
    *“Most Likely to Succeed”
    *Honor Roll & Principals List
  • Georgia Outstanding Citizen

I also have had to take care of my mother recently as she had a near-death experiences with four surgeries in a two day period and now requires assistance going to the bathroom, being fed, etc…

Thank you for any help on this! It’s okay if you think I’ll be rejected. Please tell me which aspects of this resume I should improve on the most.

2

First off, I’m sorry your mother went through that ordeal and am glad that you’re able to help her in a time that she needs you most (:. Onto your application though: I think a few of your ECs are quite unique and will help you a lot (particularly the nonprofit and ambassador-ship). They might be a little shaky holding up with other top applicants though. Could you elaborate on the Georgia Outstanding Citizen Award? I think your biggest weakness, though, is the SAT score. That really should be at a minimum a 1450 imo, ideally a 1500+. That being said, the rest of your profile is solid, and your being a Georgia resident will likely give you a bit of an edge (underrepresented region as far as I’m aware). Good luck!

PS Most of these schools are beyond difficult admits for even the most qualified of applicants, so don’t be discouraged if you get some rejections. Just keep your head up and I’m sure you’ll find yourself at a school that wants you back (:

3

Thank you so much for your help! I’m really looking to up my SAT score in this upcoming October one… Do you think it would be worth it to also take the ACT this fall if I only have two chances? Or should I just work towards perfecting my SAT I and SAT II?
And the Georgia Outstanding Citizen Award was given to me personally by David Ralston, my state’s Speaker of the House. I received it because I led my student council in the statewide competition and effectively made a bridge between my community’s local government and our youth at the high school.

Thank you again, you have no idea how much I need this type of advice!

4

And my mother’s situation has also affected our income. We receive my dad’s income of 30k and I am now on free lunch services. We might have to join welfare too. Do you think having to take welfare will hurt or help me in college applications?

5

For need-blind colleges, at worst it won’t affect your app, but at best it could help in that it shows that despite your financial struggle, you were able to achieve X,Y, and Z. I would advise against taking the ACT as you’re already familiar with the SAT and you want to utilize your time to study that test rather than try a whole new test. There’s also the reasonable concern of overtesting, so if were you, just focus on acing the next SAT and Subject Tests (:. Also, that award is absolutely fantastic, kudos! I’d make sure that you explain the award within your app somewhere so that admissions officers are aware of how prestigious that recogniton is.

6

With your interest in public policy, there are some excellent liberal arts colleges that are need blind and that might look at your application more holistically. I think many would be happy to have you. Wellesley in particular might appeal to you.

Have you taken a practice ACT? If not, I tend to agree with Exwire that you should probably focus on improving on the test you know. If you have taken a practice ACT, what was the score?